BAYELSA APC PRIMARY: ALAIBE SET TO DUMP APC FOR LP
Felix Okoye
Following his defeat at the Bayelsa State All Progressives Congress (APC) primary election, one of the party’s governorship aspirants, Timi Alaibe, is set to join the Labour Party (LP) to realise his ambition.
A source close to the former chairman of Niger Delta Development Commission informed NigerianEcho that Alaibe was disappointed by the outcome of the governorship primary election conducted by the Adams Oshiomhole committee in which former governor Timipre Sylva emerged winner.
Alaibe who once had a relationship with the LP in 2003 for same ambition was said to have complained bitterly about the process of the election which he described as “flawed, manipulated and unacceptable”, and as such he would have to look elsewhere where he could possibly realize his governorship ambition.
NigerianEcho gathered that Alaibe has called for cancellation of the election and conduct a fresh one as the only way forward, warning about the consequence of what he and his followers believed was an injustice.
Our source informed that Alaibe would be addressing a world press conference later today at which he would announce his latest decision to switch camp.
“All of us in the Alaibe Campaign Organization are not happy about the way and manner the primary election was rigged. You all saw what happened and that cannot be regarded as a clean election. It was a complete sham as you all witnessed it. The process was totally flawed and manipulated to favour a particular individual and as such it is unacceptable.
“In any case Alaibe has registered his complaint and the only way forward as he said is to cancel it and conduct a fresh election but since they are not ready to do that, we have to move on. Alaibe is definitely looking towards Labour to realize his governorship ambition and we are all moving with him as dedicated supporters”, our source said.
Asked to clarify the warning on consequence of the controversial election for the APC, the source said in a situation where former governor, Sylva, emerged winner can only mean that the PDP will likely win the December 5 election, stating that “Bayelsans are asking for change, not a return to misrule, corruption and brigandage”.
He further said that Alaibe’s aspiration was to provide a new leadership in the state, noting that in a situation whereby that change was made impossible in the APC, moving to Labour was non-negotiable.
“We want to provide a credible alternative in Bayelsa State and that alternative is Alaibe. Now with this development in the APC, Alaibe has no option than to realize that hope in the Labour Party and as a principle, we will neither vote for APC nor PDP. When we have our own platform, then we know what to do”, the source stated.
Meanwhile, it was gathered that Sylva has been reaching out to aggrieved members of the APC in the state to work with him ahead of the election, assuring them that “there is enough to go round” and as such they should not desert the party.
It was also learnt that both Alaibe and Sylva have been summoned to Abuja by the APC leadership in what was seen as a move towards a truce.
An inside source in APC said that the invitation was at the instance of a national leader of the APC to broker peace. The position of the APC national leadership on the outcome of the election is still being awaited.
